Customs officers at Mangalore International Airport at Kenjar here on Wednesday seized assorted foreign currency from the possession of four air passengers on their way to Sharjah. The currency, customs officials said was concealed inside their hand baggage and included US dollar 10,000, Omani rials 1,950 and Kuwaiti dinars 1,450. They were intercepted before boarding Air India Express Flight IX 823, customs officials stated.

The accused are Nasir Kappil Abdulla, Abdulla Kunhi, Abdul Gabbar, and Khalid Hassainer, residents of Udma and Hidayath Nagar in Kasargod. As per RBI guidelines, Indian passenger, while going abroad, can carry foreign exchange without any limit provided the same is procured from authorised money exchangers, D Purushottam, commissioner of customs, under whose guidance, customs officials are carrying out further investigations, stated.

Incidentally, this is the second such instance at MIA in the recent past. On June 16, they had seized assorted foreign currency approximately worth Rs 6.70 lakh from a passenger. The assorted currency — including US dollars, Omani riyal and Bahraini dinar was and concealed inside personal clothing kept in the hand baggage of Jaleel Kunhu Kutty, a resident of Hidayath Nagar. Jaleel arrived from Sharjah by Jet Airways flight 9W531 at 8am.

Guide for travellers of Indian Customs as on May 22, 2013 under currency rules covered by currency import regulations states one can bring in unlimited foreign currency. However, amounts exceeding $5,000 or equivalent in cash or $10,000 or equivalent in traveller's cheques must be declared. Import of Indian rupee is prohibited, except for residents of India importing up to Rs 7,500. Foreign currencies include currency notes, traveller's cheques, cheques, drafts can be exchanged only through banks/authorized money exchange points.